Staten Islander young and energetic, and wants to stand up for you

Advance file photoAlex Zablocki, 26 and a resident of Tottenville, just might turn out to be the youngest candidate running for citywide office this fall - that of public advocate - and only the second Staten Islander to do so.

For a guy who took to memorizing relevant block and lot numbers on the down-zoning applications he prepared, his boss' nickname for him still holds appeal: "Alex Block and Lot" is what state Sen. Andrew Lanza (R-Staten Island) affectionately dubbed his earnest staffer, Alex Zablocki, when the two worked together in the City Council.

Now Zablocki, 26 and a resident of Tottenville, just might turn out to be the youngest candidate running for citywide office this fall - that of public advocate - and only the second Staten Islander to do so.

(Revered former state Sen. John Marchi ran for mayor in 1969 and 1973.)

And while the political odds might not favor Zablocki, a Democrat-turned Republican (he voted for Al Gore in 2000 before local Republicans "recruited" him), he says his candidacy is all about making a difference.

To wit: Last week he launched his very own "action center" on his campaign Web site, complete with a 311-like number to call for help.

"Getting results can be frustrating," he said. "I am here to try to help anyone who might need it."

As Zablocki sees it, name recognition isn't his biggest obstacle.

THE PUBLIC WHO?

"Ninety percent of the people don't even know what the public advocate does," he lamented. (That would be acting as a conduit between the public and city agencies.)

Let alone, he says, who it is. (That would be Betsy Gotbaum, who has chosen not to seek a third term.)

Not that you can really blame the voters, said Zablocki, a native Islander who grew up in Great Kills. He notes that neither Ms. Gotbaum, nor her predecessor, Mark Green, who recently announced he's running again, had a Staten Island representative.

(Others in the mix for Public Advocate include: Democratic City Council members John Liu, Bill de Blasio and Eric Gioia. Also, repeat-candidate Norman Siegel. On the GOP side is Juan Carlos Polanco, who has ties to the Bronx organization and directs the downstate Assembly Republican minority leader's office.)

A product of the public school system, including Susan Wagner High School, where he helped found the tolerance group Council for Unity, Zablocki got a degree in finance and investment from Baruch College. A career in the world of finance was what he had planned - he bought his first shares of stock at age 13 - "when 9/11 changed everything."

In Manhattan that day, trying to make his way to the ferry on foot after the unimaginable happened, what he saw "shattered" him and made him reorder his priorities.

An Eagle Scout (Troop 150), he partnered with fellow Scouts to get donations of water and food to recovery workers.

"I felt lucky to be alive," he recalled, sitting in his tidy Tottenville condo. "And I remembered that as a Scout, you have to be there for your community. I think I was so focused on getting to the corporate office that I lost sight of what is important in life."

After a time, he began taking urban land use and design classes, learning about the ULURP (Uniform Land Use Review Procedure) application process. When he had to produce one for class, he contacted Lanza's then-Council office and discovered "what I was meant to do," first as an intern, then as land-use director.

When Lanza was elected to the state Senate in 2006, Zablocki went with him as executive assistant. And while his name is often on Lanza's district office press releases, he says he is careful not to cross the line between his own political aspirations and the demands of his job.

As Zablocki sees it, the office of public advocate is made to order for him.

"When I thought about the seats that are out there, this is the one that fits me best," said Zablocki. "I've already been an advocate for the people of Staten Island. I'm already 24/7," he said. "I'm always available."

ON BEING THRIFTY

He formally announced his candidacy last summer. So far, he's raised just $5,112.

Undaunted, Zablocki said: "If you are thrifty, like I am, a lot can be done for less money. It forces you to hit the streets."

Said Lanza: "The fact that he handles my land use and constituent work speaks to my faith in his abilities. He represents everything you could hope to have in a public advocate. He is young, energetic, is a fresh face and would offer a fresh approach. And I think Staten Island would be well served to have a voice from Staten Island in citywide government."

Zablocki said one aspect of the job that particularly appeals to him is the public advocate's ability to appoint a representative to sit on the city Planning Commission. Another would be to advocate for mass transit upgrades, like round-the-clock express bus service here.

In line with that, he's already called for making MetroCard balances available on line, advocating for a simple change that could make a big difference in people's lives.